Railroad-switch.



W. ADKINS.

RAILROAD SWITCH. APPLIOATION'PILED SEPT. 5, 1911.

1 ,027,683. Patented May 28, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEBT l.

COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH $0.,WA5HING1'ON. D. c.

W. ADKINS. RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLIOIATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1911.

Patented May 28, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM ADKINS, or KELLOGG, IOWA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 5, 1911.

Patented May 28,1912.

Serial No. 647,621.

To all whom-it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM ADKINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kellogg, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Railroad-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is' to provide a railroad switch having a movable rail member at the point where the inner rails of two tracks cross at a junction point. The movable rail member is constructed and arranged to form asect-ion of either of the two tracks.

A further object is to provide mechanism whereby said movable rail member is moved from one position to another and mechanism whereby said movable rail member is locked in position as part of the one or the other of the railroad tracks, the rail moving mechanism and the locking mechanism being actuated by a single controlling lever.

A further object is to provide such a device of such simplicity and durability of construction that it may be installed at a very small expense to the railroad company.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a plan view of the junction of two railroad tracks provided with a switch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a vertical, sectional view on the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a vertical, transverse, sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: shows an enlarged, sectional view of the switch stand andmechanism connected therewith; Fig. 5 shows a detail view partly in section, of part of the locking mechanism, and Fig. 6 shows another detail view of the locking mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the ties of a railroad track at a junction point.

The numeral 11 "indicates the outer rail and 12 indicates'the inner rail of one of the tracks, which for the purposes of this de scription, I shall call the main track, and

' 13 and .14 indicate the inner and outer rails respectively of the other track which I shall call the switch track. At the point Where the rails 12 and 13 cross, I have removed sections of both rails, and placed a heavy plate 15 beneath the'rails. Upon the plate 15, I have mounted a movable rail section 16, which in different positions of its movement forms a .part of the main track or of the switch track respectively, in the following manner. Centrally mounted in the plate 15 is a bolt 17 having a head 18 in the shape of an inverted truncated cone extending above said plate 15. Upon the plate 15 is a smaller plate 19 which is provided with a central opening designed to receive the head 18 of the bolt 17. The edges of the central opening in the plate 19 are beveled to fit the head 18 and the said plate 19 rotates freely uponsaid head. The bolt 17 is firmly secured to the plate 15 in any desiredmanner. The movable rail section 16 is firmly secured to the plate 19by means of tie members 20 and bolts 21 or in any other suitable way. Beneath the ends of the rails '12 and 13 adjacent to the plate 19.

are raised portions 22 and 23 of the plate 15. The ends of theplate 19 are rounded forming the arc of a circle having its central pivotal pointthat of said rail section. The edges oftlie portions 22 and 23 adjacent to the plate 19 are curved to correspond with the'curvature of the ends of said plate 19, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. Secured adjacent to the ends of the rails 12 and 13 adjacent'to the movable sect-ion 16 are members 24 which limit the movement of the movable rail section 16 past the points where it forms a part of said rails 12 and 13.

For moving the movable rail section 16 from the position shown in Fig. 1 where it forms a part of the main track to position where it forms part of the switch track, or vice versa, I have provided the following mechanism. Outside the tracks adjacent to the point where the rails 12 and 13 meet the rails 14 and 11 is an ordinary switch stand 25 in which is rotatably mounted an upright shaft 26. At the upper end of the stand 25 is'a horizontal annular flange 27 around the edge of which is a vertical upwardly extending flange 28. The handle 29 is pivoted to the shaft 26 and rests normally in slots 30 in the flange 28. Rotary movement is imparted to the shaft 26 by means of the handle 29. Near the lower end of the shaft 26 are formed two crankarms 31 and 32. The crank arm 32 is operatively connected with the ends of the rails 12 and 13 where said rails meet the rails 14 and 11, by ordinary mechanism commonly used at railroad switches. Pivotally mounted on the crank arm 31 is an arm 33 extending along the track to a point outside said track adjacent to one end of the plate 19, where it is pivotally connected with a lever 34. The lever 34 is mounted on a short shaft 35. Mounted on the shaft 35 is another lever 36 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Pivotally secured to the lever 36 is an arm 37 extending to and pivotally secured to the plate 19 near the one end thereof.

The mechanism just described is so constructed and arranged that by swinging the handle 29 in a direction to rotate the shaft 26, the plate 19 and the movable rail section 16 thereon may be moved from position where said rail section 16 forms a part of one of the tracks to a position where said rail section forms a part of the other track, by the movement of the crank arm 31, the arm 33, the lever 34, the shaft 35, the lever 36 and the arm 37.

For locking the movable rail section 16 in its position as part of the main track or as part of the switch track respectively, I have provided the following mechanism: Pivotally mounted near the switch stand is a lever 38. The arm 29 is provided with a longitudinal slot 40. Slidingly mounted in said slot is a broken ring 41 of sufiicient diameter to encircle the flange 28. On the side of the switch stand adjacent to the lever 38 the ends of the ring 41 are bent down wardly forming the arms 39 and then toward said lever to which they are secured (see Figs. 1 and 2.) A rod 42 is pivotally secured to the lever 38 at the end thereof opposite the point where said lever is pivotally mounted and extends along the track to a. point outside the same near the shaft 35 whereit is pivotally secured to a lever 43. The other end of the lever 43 is fixed to a shaft 44 rotatably mounted beneath the rails and extending to a point beneath the plate 15. Fixed to the inner end of the shaft 44 is a lever 45. Pivotally secured to the other end of the lever 45 is a short arm 46. One end of the plate 19 is provided with two notches 47 and 47 on opposite sides of the rail section 16 and the plate 19 is provided with a slot 48. Pivotally mounted upon a suitable support at a point spaced apart from its ends, is a locking lever 49, one end of which is pivoted to the short arm 46. The other end of the locking lever 49 ex tends upwardly through the slot 48 to position adjacent to the notch 47 or the notch 47 depending upon the position of the movable rail section 16. hen the movable rail section 16 is in its position forming a part of the main track, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper end of the locking lever 49 is on the outside of the track in position to be received in and engaged by the notch 47.

The locking lever 49 is moved into or out of engagement-with the respective notches 47 and 47, by means of the mechanism heretofore described in the following manner: The locking lever 49 and the mechanism immediately connected therewith are so constructed and arranged that when the movable rail section 16 is in proper position to form a part of either the main track or of the switch track, the upper end of said looking mechanism is drawn into the proper notch 47 or 47 a as the case may be, when the handle 29 is in horizontal position. \Vhen the handle 29 is raised above horizontal position, the ring 41 is raised and the upper end of the lever 38 is moved forward. Thereby the arm 42, the lever 43, the shaft 44, the lever 45, and the short arm 46 are actuated to move the locking lever 49 out of engagement with the notch 47 or 47. hen the handle 29 is so raised it may be moved around the switch stand and the movable rail section 16 is thus changed from one position to another. In practical operation it will be seen that the weight of the handle 29 holds it in horizontal position. hen said handle is in such horizontal position and the rail section 16 is in line with the track 12 or the track 13, the locking lever 49 is in one of the notches 47 01' 47 and the rail section 16 is securely locked in its position. It cannot be moved without raising the handle 29 and disengaging the looking lever 49. The handle 29 is designed to be locked to the switch stand by an ordinary pad lock 50.

My improved railroad switch has the advantage of providing a continuous rail in place of the broken rail used in the common forms of frogs. The rail section 16 is securely held in position and the danger of wrecks is very largely decreased. The movable rail section is operated by mechanism of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction. The whole device can be installed at a comparatively small cost and the cost of maintenance after installation is very slight.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a

movable rail section designed in different positions of its movement to form part of a main track or a part of a switch track, a switch stand, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a handle pivotally mounted on said shaft, a lever pivotally mounted near said switch stand, said handle being constructed with a longitudinal slot, a broken ring slidingly mounted in said slot, the ends of said ring being bent downwardly and then toward said lever, to which they are fixed, means whereby said movable rail section is moved to various positions of its movement by the movement of said handle in a direction to'rotate said shaft, and means whereby the raising and lowering of said handle and the consequent movement of said lever unlooks or looks said movable rail section in position as a part of the main track or as a part of the switch track.

2. In a device of the class described, a plate, a bolt mounted therein provided with an upwardly extending head having the shape of an inverted truncated cone, a second plate provided with an opening designed to receive and fit said bolt head, said second plate being rotatably mounted above said first plate upon said bolt, a rail section secured to said second plate and capable in different positions of its movement to form a part of a main track or a switch track respectively, said first plate being constructed with a slot and said second plate being constructed with notches, a locking lever pivotally mounted below said plates and received in said slot and capable in one posit-ion of its movement of entering and engaging one or the other of the notches in said second plate depending upon the position of said second plate, means for moving said second plate and the rail section thereon, actuating means for controlling said locking lever, said first means and said second means being controlled by a single handle.

3. In a device of the class described, a switch stand, a handle pivotally secured thereto provided with a longitudinal slot, a lever pivotally mounted near said switch stand, a broken ring mounted in the slot in said handle, said handle being capable of moving freely on said ring, the ends of said ring being extended to and fixed to said lever, said parts being so arranged that the upward and downward movement of said handle operates said lever.

Des Moines, Iowa, August 24, 1911.

WILLIAM ADKINS.

Witnesses:

HENRY F. BOBZIN, C. T. POWERS.

Conies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

